The future of 10 planned playgrounds which have had their funding frozen is still to be resolved - despite a government pledge to reveal its decision weeks ago.
At yesterday's full council meeting, Judith Blake said Leeds council was supposed to have heard by the end of August whether the playgrounds, which are part of the suspended national Playbuilder programme, could proceed or whether they would be axed.
She called on council to lobby the government to reintroduce the scheme.
Blake said:
"The suspension and now the additional wait has caused a lot of anxiety. We are left with 10 of the 22 playgrounds on hold. It is extremely disappointing for the young people and the communities that have been involved. Four playgrounds have match funding, which could be lost to the city.
"The most disadvantaged children in the city are the ones that are suffering."
Blake said that designs for many of the playgrounds had been put together with input from local communities.
The original Playbuilder budget for Leeds was £1.1m to help pay for 22 new or refurbished play areas across Leeds. So far, 11 have been completed and the council was told by governemnt that a final decision on the other 10 was due by the end og August.
As reported last month, the education secretary, Michael Gove, wrote to Leeds council bosses telling them the government would have to make savings on playgrounds where the grant had not yet been spent or there was "no evidence of a strong case" to go ahead with a contract that had already been agreed.
The national £235m Playbuilder scheme, launched two years ago, was intended to create 3,500 community playgrounds across England.
The suspended schemes include:
Grove Road, Halton; Temple Newsam; Roundhay Park; Sandford Road, Kirkstall; Armley Moor; Victoria Park, Calverley; Windmill Road, Belle Isle; Seacroft Gardens; Naburn Close Park, Whinmoor and Butcher Hill Area, Kirkstall.
Cost of travellers nears £2 million
Councillors were told that the total cost to the council of court orders and cleanups for illegal traveller encampments in Leeds since 2003-2004 was nearly £2 million. The costs were £143,560 in 2003-2004, rising to £335,000 in 2009-2010. Costs so far this year are almost £330,000, councillor Peter Gruen told the meeting. He said:
"I am very grateful that this week it was decided that there would be an all-party scrutiny board inquiry looking into a what is clearly a predominant issue affecting a lot of wards."
Gruen said the administration currently had no plans for more permanent traveller sites in Leeds.
Concerns over new HMO legislation
Changes to the law which governs how properties can be changed into 'houses of multiple occupation' (HMOs) for student use have been condemned by councillors in North West Leeds.
For a decade the Leeds HMO Lobby fought for legislation to enable local communities to control the impact of houses in multiple occupation. In April this year, the government brought in new rules.
But the new coalition government is proposing changes from October 1. The legislation will be left in place - but it will be suspended. Any council which wants to use it will have to bring in an 'Article 4 Direction', to 'opt in' to the legislation - but councillors argued this is an unsuitable procedure, which will also make councils who use it liable to compensation, and could take a year to apply for.
Councillors Gerry Harper, John Illingworth (both Labour) and Liberal Democrat Martin Hamilton spoke out against the plans. Hamilton labelled them 'misguided' and suggested that Leeds back Milton Keynes council in taking the decision to the courts and challenging it with a judicial review.
City of Leeds School praised
There was rich praise for City Of Leeds School in Woodhouse, which was recently saved from closure following a campaign by parents, governors, staff and the local community.
Councillor Jane Dowson said the council 'had taken a big risk' in keeping the school open but praised the hard work of the staff and pupils, which saw what she described as a 'spectaular' 25 per cent of pupils achieve five A*-C grades in the recent GCSE results - up from just 12 per cent last year.
The school also received praise from councillors Penny Ewans, Javaid Akhtar, James Lewis and Ben Chastney.
Deputations to council
Concerns over a residential development at Throstle Nest Villa in Horsforth - which residents say will create traffic problems in the area - will be referred to the executive board for consideration.
Unison Leeds Community Health members spoke of their 'significant concerns' over plans to turn their part of the NHS into a social enterprise. They claimed there had not been sufficient consultation over the proposals. The deputation referred to the executive board for consideration.
Honorary aldermen
The following people were made honorary aldermen on the city of Leeds: Jonathan Brown, Miles Crompton, Michael Davey, William Kilgallon, Richard Manning, Frank Robinson and Jean White.
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